In three of their last four games, the Cerritos College baseball team struggled with scoring runs. However, on Thursday, the Falcon bats came to life in a 16-2 South Coast Conference win at Rio Hondo College. The teams will close out their three-game series at noon at Kincaid Field on Saturday.

Cerritos opened the scoring with three runs in the top of the third inning, but it was a 10-run eighth inning that put the game out of reach. The 10-run inning was the most by a Falcons team since they scored nine runs in a 24-13 win over Cerro Coso College on February 28, 2013. The 10 wins also matches the team's total from 2023.

In the third inning, freshman outfielder Diego Orozco (Long Beach Wilson HS) led off with a base hit, while sophomore outfielder Nico Briones (Long Beach Millikan HS) walked. After sophomore shortstop DJ Massey (Gahr HS/Central Arizona College) was hit by a pitch to load the bases, freshman catcher Alonso Reyes (Culver City HS) brought in the first run with a walk. Sophomore designated hitter Marco Lopez (Narbonne HS/Vanguard University) followed with a sacrifice fly, with sophomore first baseman Mike Santos (Servite HS) following with an RBI single.

Freshman starting pitcher Myles Johnson (Katella HS) was the recipient of the run support, as he tossed the first seven innings to earn his third win of the season. He allowed two runs and just three hits while striking out six batters. He did walk six batters, with two of them accounting for both Roadrunner runs on the day. Freshman Juan Garcia (Narbonne HS) pitched the final two innings and recorded four strikeouts.

Leading 4-2 heading into the top of the eighth inning, the Falcons posted their 10-run inning on just five hits, while they cashed in on three walks and a hit batter.

Orozco once again led off the inning with a single, with Massey getting hit by another pitch. Both runners advanced on a passed ball before Reyes walked, which loaded the bases. Lopez got the scoring started when he drew a walk, with Santos driving in a pair with a double. The inning continued when freshman catcher Ryan Reyes (Los Alamitos HS) slapped an RBI single, while a two-run double from sophomore infielder Anthony Bassett (Colegio Bautista de Managua, Nicaragua/Los Angeles Harbor College) kept the inning going. The big hit of the inning was a bases loaded, bases clearing double from Massey, who then scored on a wild pitch.

Cerritos capped off the scoring with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the ninth inning, as a bases loaded error brought in one run, while Briones drew a run-scoring walk.

Massey finished the day going 3-for-4 with four RBI, three runs scored, while he reached base five times. Santos checked in with a 3-for-5 day with three RBI, with the quartet of Orozco, Bassett, Ryan Reyes and freshman outfielder Isaiah Rios (St. John Bosco HS) each had two hits.